Tag Archives: Brian McCann

ATLANTA — Brian McCann has played in six games against the Phillies. McCann has also homered in all six games against the Phillies.

A three-run blast in the 5th inning gave the Braves a commanding 5-1 lead, enabling starter Ben Sheets to cruise to his third win of the season. The Braves won, 6-1, snapping the Phillies’ four-game winning streak.

Cole Hamels was horrible in his first start since being extended by the Phillies. He gave up a career-high six walks as well as threw more balls (56) than strikes (53).

His accuracy was an issue early, and it wasn’t until McCann smacked a three-run shot that the control issues became a big problem. Hamels was done after five, allowing five runs, three earned, on four hits and six walks while striking out seven.

The Braves star catcher homered in his fourth straight game, this one proving to be the winning run in the Braves 4-3 victory over the Phillies. The win capped off a three-game sweep that will send the Phillies into the All-Star Break 12 games under .500.

With the game tied up, 3-3, McCann hit a bomb to dead center off reliever Raul Valdes in the 7th inning to give the Braves a 4-3 lead. McCann finished game 2-for-4 with a homer and two RBIs.

The Phillies jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the 2nd inning when Jason Pridie, a late addition to the lineup for Shane Victorino (more on that later), ripped a two-run homer.

The Braves tied the game up in the 4th when Dan Uggla hit a two-run homer off Phillies starter Vance Worley. But the Phillies responded right back in the bottom on Pridie’s RBI double to give them a 3-2 lead.

McCann worked his Phillie-killing magic in the 5th inning. After a pair of singles by Martin Prado and Jason Heyward, McCann singled on a line drive up the middle to tie the game back up, 3-3.

The Phillies of 2012 are finding newer and more awesome ways to lose baseball games. This time, Antonio Bastardo imploded in the 8th inning, walking in the go-ahead run before giving up a grand slam to Brian McCann in the Braves 5-0 win over the Phillies Friday night.

The monumental meltdown overshadowed the return of Ryan Howard, who went 2-for-4 with a single and double in the Phillies loss.

Howard received a chorus of cheers in the 2nd inning. On the second pitch he faced, he took Braves starter Tim Hudson deep to right-center field for a lead-off double. But in 2012 Phillies fashion, Howard was stranded at second.

Along with Howard’s return, Kyle Kendrick’s seven shut out innings were spoiled thanks to the bull pen’s inability to keep the Phillies in the game. Kendrick scattered four hits and a walk through seven, striking out five.